Sign



.0. SIMMONS. SIGN.

FILED mm. I922.

Mar. 27, 1923.

Inventor,

CQSIMMONS.

Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNETED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

SIGN.

Application filed April 4, 1922. Serial No. 549,646.

T all to 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES SIMMONS, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of Toronto. in the county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in signs and the object of the invention is to devise a sign that will be more noticeable than the ordinary lettered sign at present in use.

A further object is to devise a sign in which the characters thereon have an animated appearance which will attract the attention of the passer-by.

My invention consists of a sign constructed and arranged all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a sign constructed according to invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view with the sign portion removed to expose the interior thereof, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectional view showing the means for driving the movable portion of the sign.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

1 is the sign casing provided with the front 2 suitably hinged thereto and having the window 3 provided zwithi the transparent advertising characters 4, said window being preferably constructed of glass or other similar material, painted to render the same opaque except for the transparent advertising characters.

5 is a driving sprocket suitably ournalled in the casing on the rearwardly extending shaft 6 which is provided exteriorly of the casing with a driving gear 7 which meshes with the pinion 8 of the electric motor 9.

i 10 are a plurality of idler sprockets or idler rollers rotatably mounted in the interior of the casing upon which the endless chain 11 is mounted, said chain extending about the driving sprocket 5 and the rollers or idler sprockets 10 being so positioned that the endless chain will take up a position wherein it lies immediately behind the transparent characters on the window 3.

12 are a plurality of overlapping discs suitably secured to the outer face of the chain 10, said discs having outer faces of different colours. The device is operated as follows:

When the motor 9 is turned on, the gear 7 is driven by the pinion 8 and consequently. the shaft 6 rotates the sprocket 5.

As this occurs the chain is rotated and with it the connected discs 12. As these discs are of different colours and as the line immediately behind the transparent a vertising characters 4 in the window 3, it will be seen that such characters will be given a very animated appearance, due to the different coloured moving discs.

Although I have only illustrated two letters in my sign it is to be understood that it could with equal facility be constructed to contain any number of letters or designs wherein the discs 12 would be moved behind the same. Further, if desired, the

characters could be stamped out in the form v of a stencil instead of being on a glass window.

It will be apparent that a sign constructed according to my invention would be simple in construction and positive in use.

Moreover it will give a very animated appearance to the advertising characters in the day time and will achieve the same re sult at night if illuminated.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a sign, the combination with a casing having a face with translucent characters,

of a driven element mova-bly supported in the casing and multicoloured means on the forward face of said driven element, said driven element and the attached multicolcured means so disposed that the latter travels in a path which registers with the out line of the translucent characters.

2. In a sign, the combination with a casing having a face with translucent characters, of a driven element movably supported in the casing and multicoloured discs secured to the forward face of the driven element, said driven element and the attached multicoloured means so disposed that the latter travels in a path which registers with the outline of the translucent characters.

3. In a, sign, the combination with a casing having a face with translucent'characters. of a driven element movably supported in the casing and multicoloured overlapping discs secured to the forward face of the driven element, said driven element and the Ill) attached multicoloured means so disposed that the latter travels in a path which registers with the outline of the translucent characters.

4. In a sign, the combination with a casing having a face with translucent characters, of a driven element movably supported in the casing and multicoloured opaque discs secured to the forward face of the driven element, said driven element and the attached multicoloured means so disposed that the latter travels. in a path which registers with the outline of the translucent characters.

In a sign, the combination with a casing having a face with translucent characters, of a set of movable discs positioned behind said translucent characters and so supported in the casing that they travel in a path which registers with the outline of the translucent characters, said set of movable discs lying in a plane substantially parallel to the face of the casing provided with the "ranslucent characters.

6. In a sign, the combination with a casing having a face with translucent characters, of a set of movable overlapping discs positioned behind said translucent characters and so supported in the casing that they travel in a path which registers with the outline of the translucent characters, said set of movable discs lying in a plane substantially parallel to the face of the casing; provided with the translucent characters.

7. In a sign, the combination with a casing having a face with translucent characters, of a set of movable opaque discs positioned behind said translucent characters and so supported in the casing that they travel in a path which registers with the outline of the translucent characters, said set of movable discs lying in a plane substantially parallel to the face of the casing provided with the translucent characters.

8. In a sign, the combination with a casing having a face with translucent characters a plurality of idle-r sprockets journalled in the casing and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the face of the casing provided with the trans lucent characters, a driving sprocket journalled in the casing in the same plane as the idler sprockets, an endless chain mounted on the idler sprockets, a plurality of discs of different colours secured to the face of the chain adjacent to the face of the casing provided with the translucent characters, said chain and discs so disposed that the latter will travel in a path which registers with the outline of the translucent characters.

CHARLES SIMMONS. 

